emergency care

An ambulance approaches the Amazon Fulfillment Center in St. Peters, Mo. on Wednesday, Oct. 11, 2023. Workers remarked that ambulances being called to the warehouse is a regular occurrence.

Missouri pilot program trains EMS crews to give overdose victims addiction meds

Sarah Fentem

EMS workers across the state are receiving training on how to give overdose victims a dose of buprenorphine, which manages cravings and withdrawal symptoms, after reviving them from an overdose with the overdose reversal drug naloxone.

BJC HealthCare operates Barnes-Jewish Hospital and more than a dozen others in the St. Louis region.

Health, Science & Environment

Respiratory viruses slam St. Louis-area hospitals just in time for the holidays

Sarah Fentem

Flu and other respiratory illnesses are on the rise in St. Louis. The increase in patients is coming as more health care employees leave their jobs, putting more strain on the remaining workforce.

Health, Science & Environment

St. Louis doctors say hospitalizations for childhood respiratory virus on the rise

Sarah Fentem

About 80 children a week are being hospitalized at St. Louis Children's Hospital for RSV-related illnesses, doctors said.

Health, Science & Environment

Tens Of Thousands Of Missourians Lose Health Insurance After Coronavirus Job Losses

Sarah Fentem

The number of people without health insurance has grown by an estimated 100,000 in Missouri and 186,000 in Illinois since the start of the coronavirus pandemic, according to the nonprofit Families USA.Coronavirus-related job losses have meant families are living without health care during a time they need it most, the researchers said. Many fearing high hospital bills are forgoing medical care and putting their lives at risk, doctors said.“Many, many people, millions of people, have lost their job, said Rachel Garfield, co-director of the Program on Medicaid and the Uninsured at the Kaiser Family Foundation. “And for many Americans, health insurance is tied to their employment.”

The rate of emergency room admissions for child sex abuse in the U.S. nearly doubled between 2010 and 2016, according to research from Saint Louis University.

Health, Science & Environment

More Kids Are Being Admitted To The ER For Sex Abuse, Say SLU Researchers

Shahla Farzan

Children who have suffered sexual abuse are now going to the ER at much higher rates compared to a decade ago, according to research from St. Louis…

Health, Science & Environment

For Missouri heart attack patients, the nearest hospital isn't always the best

Sarah Fentem

The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services has designated nine hospitals in St. Louis County as priority heart attack centers to ensure that…

An employee sits in a crisis communications center for Saint Louis University Hospital. The red phone acts as a backup communication system, and the white boards track hospital resources in an emergency.

Health, Science & Environment

St. Louis-area hospitals expect influx of patients to coincide with eclipse

Saint Louis University Hospital's emergency services director, Helen Sandkuhl, has spent the last couple of weeks reviewing emergency plans, checking…

For sickle cell patients, opioids are often the only pain relief. But growing rates of addiction among the general public mean emergency room doctors are more cautious than ever in prescribing those powerful medications, causing challenges.

Health, Science & Environment

Anthem asks Missourians to think twice before going to the emergency room

Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield, one of Missouri’s largest insurers, no longer covers emergency room visits that it deems unnecessary.The policy aims to…

After a chance meeting, Katie Eisenbeis (right) schedules a future appointment for one of her patients in the mobile health program.

Health, Science & Environment

Fewer St. Louis emergency room visits by the uninsured, in first year of Healthcare.gov

When the Affordable Care Act went into effect, many health-care economists hoped it would reduce the number of emergency room visits made by uninsured…

Linda Parks, 65, was in and out of the emergency room for months after a major surgery in October. A health outreach program from Christian Hospital helped her get back on her feet.

Health, Science & Environment

Paramedics are reducing hospital readmissions in north St. Louis County

There are no sirens or flashing lights as Katie Eisenbeis, a 26-year-old paramedic from Christian Hospital, parks her medical van on a tree-lined street…